Friday, June 03, 2005

Can't Wait?It seems some people simply couldn't wait. As it turns out, two men were recently arrested on charges of both firearms and theft. The theft? The upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince books. This from Scotsman.A Sun newspaper reporter was in the middle of a deal to buy the stolen book when the incident began.A police spokesman said today: “Northamptonshire Police were called with information that a person was attempting to sell a copy of the new Harry Potter novel and that the person was in possession of firearms.“Police began an investigation into the allegations but in the meantime fresh allegations were made this morning that a firearm had been discharged in the property in Kettering.“As a result of this a firearms operation was launched at a residential address in Tresham Street in Kettering town centre earlier today which resulted in two men being arrested on suspicion of theft and firearms offences.“The two men are aged 37 and 19 and are both from Kettering and have been taken to separate police stations in the county.“Two books were recovered and they are currently being held in secure circumstances has evidence by Northamptonshire Police.”The spokesman added that any weapon had not yet been recovered and the reports had not been substantiated.A spokesman for The Sun later told the Press Association: “The newspaper was approached by someone claiming to have a copy of the new Harry Potter book.“A reporter and photographer from The Sun met with two men with the intention of obtaining the book so it could be returned to the publisher and the police could be informed.”

However, as this report reads, it is not known whether the H-BP was the actual book(s) offered or not at this 'sale'. And as for the firearms charge, it might be rather hard to prove there were any, if none are found, as they seem to've mysteriously disappeared? Circumstances seem rather funny about this one.

**UPDATE**Harry Potter author JK Rowling has won a court battle to stop two men leaking details of her eagerly awaited latest book after a dramatic operation to recover two stolen copies.Rowling has been granted a High Court injunction against the two men, after they were accused of attempting to sell two printed copies of The Half-Blood Prince. Legal firm Reynolds Porter Chamberlain issued a statement on her behalf which said: "This order was made following our client's discovery this morning that a copy of the forthcoming Harry Potter Book, Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, had been obtained by unauthorised persons who had subsequently offered the book to newspaper journalists."